The present invention relates to a contact arrangement with an elongated striker movable in direction of its elongation and a pair of movable contacts actuated by the striker and cooperating with stationary contacts respectively adjacent to the movable contacts so as to move in one end position of the reciprocating striker one of the movable contacts into engagement with the stationary contact adjacent thereto and the other of the movable contacts out of engagement with the stationary contact adjacent thereto and, in the other end position of the striker, the one movable contact out of engagement with the stationary contact adjacent thereto and the other movable contact into engagement with the stationary contact adjacent thereto.
Contact arrangements of this kind are known in many different constructions and for many different uses. Relays and thermal overload switches may be mentioned as examples in which such contact arrangements are used. The contact arrangement according to the present invention may basically be used in all contact arrangements in which creeping or slow movement for actuating the contact arrangement may occur and in which nevertheless sudden switching is desired.
In contact arrangements of the prior art, the contact pressure between the engaging movable and stationary contacts depends on the actuating stroke or switching stroke, that is, the contact pressure decreases during this switching stroke until it reaches zero and only subsequently thereto is the switching carried out under opening of the contacts. This will result in essential disadvantages, especially in an unsafe contact and, in many operating conditions, in an insufficient safety against vibrations.